Orn Tel Imen
Orn tel Imen or The Tree of the Night's Sky is the college of the city of Telinor, and serves as the administrative centre of the forest of the same name. It is one of the world's major landmarks. History Orn tel Imen was created through magic by the third wave of elves arrived on Etan. Around it the city of Telinor was built, steadily expanding outward from the centrals structure. Shardfall For more on this, see here. As the college began to develop, eight major schools began to form, each taking on a different aspect to arcane magic, establishing many of the commonly understood practices found throughout most practitioners of magic. Pelor's Glory For more on this, see here. The building became of major importance during the drought during the time known as Pelor's Glory as the area around the city was provided with rain due to the college's possession of the Rod of Clear Skies preventing a famine in northern Etan. Long Night For more on this, see here. During the Long Night the college enacted a ritual to alter the movements of the planes, compelling a fragment of Highvale to remain stationary over the city of Telinor. This manifested as a great burning line in the sky above Telinor as a piece of chain torn from Pelor's own realm ￼was held in place, scouring the unholy flesh of those vampires that sought to approach the city. Divine Era For more on this, see here. Layout The college building itself has been built upon over time but the singular structure of the has remained largely unchanged. The main structure is formed from a massive tree which grew from a sacred seed brought from Eschensil. Connected to that are eight other trees, recognizable as species native to Tolas though massive in size, though they are dwarfed by the central tree. Each tree is a different species, aligning to understandings of certain properties of the eight different schools of magic taught in the college. Inside the central tower is a maze of sloping corridors that turn into classrooms and lecture halls seemingly at random, though a pattern does exist and it is part of the screening process for entrants. At the top of the tower is an observatory where the ''Rod of Clear Skies'' is stored and the heavens are observed. Eight Schools Each of the eight schools of magic have towers connected to the central tower of Orn Tel Imen, the branches of the trees intertwining to form walkways and even corridors, growing larger every year as the college needs it to. Each of the colleges is headed by an archmage of the discipline, who together form the Arcane Authority. Each school has many lesser schools within it, who will in turn have their own archmages that have mastered that discipline. School of Abjuration Held within a great rowan tree, its practitioners adorned in the blue robes that warding magic takes on when sensed by mages, a colour rarely seen in nature that bears a comforting but also warning tone. Abjurers are protective people, and are tasked with maintaining many of the defences of the college and city, with many students also being clerics devoted to Arcana who invoke powerful rituals across the city to protect unauthorised teleportation into the city. School of Conjuration The oak tree that houses the conjurers, wearing their robes of yellow, has many doorways and paths that lead to the mansions and dwellings within demiplanes that conjurers long dead have left filled with forgotten treasures. Familiars and conjured animals roam the hallways on missions for their masters or just wandering on some errant task sent by a student practicing the spell, with it being common to see dogs and cats pattering around legs of students as they make their way to class. School of Divination A collection of birch trees that intertwine in a complex web that stretch high into the sky marks the diviners school, with their robes of light blue, their trees also house many farseer devices that delve into the magicks of the heavens and beyond. Much of the bark has prophecy and warnings, as well as insulting messages and poetry musing on many different topics. School of Enchantment House in a a tree of ceder with students and magi adorned in robes of pink, the School of Enchantment is filled with wondrous gardens of flowers that produce sweet smelling aromas that enhance the enthralling magicks of the students. Some of these fragrances are woven into the defense of the School itself, those with malicious intent find themselves confused and turned around, with would-be-thieves finding themselves asking the very people they were trying to bypass for assistance in arresting themselves. Many of those that practice the art of enchantment draw the very power of the magic into themselves, gifting them with a beautiful appearance or eyes that can beguile a unwary student, indeed some of the first mantras and learned defense a student picks up involves mentally blocking an enchanter from convincing them to do their homework for them. School of Evocation In a blackened tree of ash with robes of burning red, the School of Evocation is the most common school associated with the college of Telinor, in fact many people associated with the college will wear red robes to invoke the imagery of the school, both its darker reputation and its prowess in arcane power. This school features many humans and half-elf members compared to the other schools, as those with a shorter lifespan than the elves of Telinor find the chaotic manipulation of the elements to come far more naturally than their longer living counterparts. School of Illusion The pine trees of the School of Illusion shiver and shake with motes of magic cast off from ancient spells, with false doors, duplicates of students long departed wandering the halls, and replications of battle scenes playing out when these fragments of illusions are deposited from the wizened trees. The members of this School wear robes of fine purple, often bedecked in the disguise self spell allowing them to wear comfortable clothing but appear impressive with jewelry and intricately weaved cloth. School of Necromancy With roots delving deep into the earth, the elder tree of the School of Necromancy appears to be trapped in a web of vines and entangling ivy that seems to leech the life from the tree draining its colour in places, or choking the branches with their ever tightening around what would seem to be rotting limbs. The tree itself however is full of life, and inside the structures within are lively groups of people talking, laughing, or otherwise making the most of life as undead thralls constructed from the bodies of those that donate their bodies to the college carry out tasks on behalf of their masters. Such creations are confined to the Necromancy School and any that wander away from the tree are compelled to return to it. Members of this school wear dark green robes that can appear black to many races, though any elf would call it green. School of Transmutation Usually taking the form of a mahogany tree, the School of Transmutation is filled with twisted corridors and intertwining branches that channel the transmutation magic held with in from one part of the school to another. Within the school are the alchemical laboratories of the college, with branches that have fashioned themselves into pipes redirecting the strange smoke and fumes that spring forth from these experiments outside or into chambers held deep within the school where the magic prevents any harmful substances reaching the outside world, they are held with in glass domes, the wood spontaneously converting itself to house the clouds of poison or burning smoke. Members of this school wear robes of orange and will often feature a small palm sized stone into the design of their outfit, from which the draw forth a fragment of power. Exterior At the base is a large open green campus area surrounded by fruit trees and simple fences, closer to the tower are further barriers to entry but these serve to prevent a sudden rush on the tower rather than to prevent access altogether. From here the Green River arises from an underground spring and flows to the west, but not before winding around the city in various canals and channels, following a great ring that mimics the life rings of tree.. StudentsCategory:LandmarkCategory:Organisations The college has loose rules when it comes to enrollment and staff, with each of the eight schools have its own rules, customs and traditions when it comes to accepting students. Generally, a full member of the college needs to sponsor or accept an apprentice for enrollment to take place, which ranges from a student that has passed their Second Sphere examinations and has become fully part of one of the schools, all the way up to the archmage of one of the eight schools. If a student shows promise, they will be allowed to stay within the college's central tower, which is constantly expanding and growing as its druids tend to its needs, both as a living entity and as a home for its denizens. Non-elven Enrollment For most of the colleges existence it was believed that only elves, with their long lifespans, could truly master magic, and thus only elvish students were accepted by the school. Following the Invasion of Maktur by the Blackstaves who were the main opponents to the introduction of non-elven students into the college, the ban has been lifted and admittance is now decided upon one's abilities rather than one's racial heritage. This was mainly due to the efforts of the Necromancy Nabob Ba'win who oversaw many reforms during the absence of many of the die hard Blackstaves. Tel Imen Lodge For more on this topic, see here. The Tel Imen Lodge is an organisation which exists separately from the college. A furtive institution, the lodge inducts members from Orn Tel Imen alumni with the goal of furthering the college's interests, particularly those which would reflect poorly on the college if pursued openly. In the recent past, the Tel Imen Lodge's activities were limited mostly to the gathering of information and the retrieval of rare artifacts. Since the War in the Silence, the lodge has been tasked with performing more critical tasks. To this end the lodge has inducted numerous former members of the Bridge, who provide expertise in covert action. Influence Orn Tel Imen has existed for generations within the forest of Telinor, where time seems to slow down for all who dwell within it, as the strange seasons and power of the arcane that seems to suffuse the air alters perceptions and meddles with fates. And as an institution that has endured for centuries, it has had considerable influence of arcane theory, including the measurement of the heavenly bodies and movements of the planes. Common Calendar For more on this, see here. After generations of work, Orn Tel Imen's Divination School produced its greatest work; an accurate mapping of the movements of the planes to align with a mapping of days, weeks, months, solstices and other observed phenomenon. What became known as the Common Calendar superseded the Astral Calendar, which relied on the movements of the Silver Veil and the Hateful Sun and the less reliable constellations in the night sky. Since its introduction, much of the world has adopted the Common Calendar, though the School of Divination still controls the introduction of epoch events from which to count forward from, basing these decisions off arcane mathematics and astral augury. Publications Telinor writers have produced a number of works over the years, some of them include: * A reply to the Discourse on the Plight of the Eastern Human * A discussion on the nature of certain aspects of magic in; The Will and the Word Background Features Telinor Student Your interests and pursuits have brought you to the great tree towers of Telinor College, soaking in every lesson and learning the secrets of the arcane. However, there are limits to what you can learn from the mages of the Tree of the Night's Sky, and a certain degree of practical application is needed. You may seek to apply your magical understanding to real life situations, or uncover some lost piece of lore. Whatever the lure to adventuring, the College has prepared you with the basics. Skill Proficiencies: '''Your choice of two from among Arcana, History, and Medicine. '''Languages: '''Two of your choice. '''Equipment: '''A set of student robes from your chosen school, a badge or symbol of your school, a writing kit (small pouch with a quill, ink, folded parchment, and a small penknife), and a belt pouch containing 10g. '''Feature: Student Privilege You've cleared enough lessons, and gained an ally or two in academia, to have access to certain chambers within the College (and some other arcane universities) that outsiders would not. This allows the use of any Tool Kit, as long as the Tool Kit is used on the grounds of the College and is not removed from its respective chamber (each tool kit is magically marked and will sound an alarm if removed). More dangerous kits and advanced crafts (such as use of a Poisoner's Kit, or the enchanting of magical item) might require staff supervision. You may also have access to free crafting materials and enchanting tables, so long as they are relatively inexpensive and you are in good standing with the College. Category:Homerules Category:Telinor